Conventionally, games represented by simulation games or the like, in which a player manipulates a plurality of characters (units) are known. For such a game, a game apparatus which displays characters operable by the player on a screen as icons and allows the player to change (switch) the character to manipulate using such an icon is disclosed (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-305176).
According to the above game apparatus, any one of a plurality of characters operable by the player (hereinafter, such characters will be referred to as the “ally characters”) is set as an operation target. The game apparatus displays the icons representing the ally characters, which are not displayed on the screen, at the right bottom corner of the screen. The player may select one of the icons with a cross key or the like and press a predetermined button to set the alley character represented by the selected icon as the operation target. In accompaniment with this operation of changing the operation target, the settings on a virtual camera are changed to the settings based on the selected character, and the game screen is switched to display the selected character.
However, the above-described game apparatus has the following problems where, for example, the above-described technology is applied to a game such as an RTS (Real-time Strategy) game. The above-described icon selection operation allows the ally character as the operation target to be switched and also allows the game screen to be switched accordingly. However, an instruction to attack an enemy character, for example, needs to be issued again after the game screen is switched. Now, it is assumed that an instruction to attack an enemy character located far in the game space is to be issued. In this case, the enemy character located far needs to be specified as an attack target. Before specifying the attack target, it is necessary to switch the game screen by the above-mentioned icon selection, and then, for example, scroll the screen until the enemy character as the attack target is displayed. Such an operation flow is troublesome in a game such as an RTS game in which operations close to real-time operations are enjoyable and quick operations are required to play the game advantageously. Such a troublesome operation makes it difficult for the player to enjoy the game.
Therefore, an object of certain example embodiments provide a computer-readable storage medium having an information processing program stored thereon and an information processing apparatus for improving the operability of information processing in, for example, a game of operating a plurality of characters.
Certain example embodiments have the following features to attain the object mentioned above. The reference numerals, additional explanations and the like in parentheses in this section of the specification indicate the correspondence with the embodiments described later for easier understanding, and do not limit the present invention in any way.
A first aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for displaying, in a screen (2) at an interval of a unit time, a virtual space containing at least one instruction target object which performs a predetermined motion based on an operation of a player. The information processing program causes the computer to perform an outside-the-area object detection step (S11), a substitute icon display step (S12), a pointed position calculation step (S63), a first operation detection step (S61), a second operation detection step (S71), and a motion execution step (S74, S76). The outside-the-area object detection step detects, at an interval of the unit time, the instruction target object which is located outside a predetermined area of the virtual space. The substitute icon display step, when the instruction target object which is located outside the predetermined area is detected in the outside-the-area object detection step, displays a substitute icon associated with the instruction target object in the screen. The pointed position calculation step obtains operation data from an operation device (7) at an interval of the unit time and calculating a pointed position on the screen pointed to by the operation device based on the operation data. The first operation detection step detects, from the operation data, that a first operation has been performed on the substitute icon. The second operation detection step detects, from the operation data, that a second operation has been performed after the first operation was detected in the first operation detection step. The motion execution step causes the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon processed by the first operation to perform a predetermined motion based on the pointed position when the second operation was detected in the second operation detection step.
According to the first aspect, the operability of the instruction operation on the instruction target object can be improved.
In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the outside-the-area object detection step performs the detection where an area displayed in the screen is set as the predetermined area.
According to the second aspect, even when the instruction target object is not displayed in the screen, the player can quickly issue an instruction to the instruction target object using the substitute icon. This can improve the operability.
In a third aspect based on the first aspect, the motion execution step moves the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon processed by the first operation to a position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position.
According to the third aspect, even when, for example, the instruction target object is not displayed in the screen, the player can move the instruction target object to a spot in the virtual space displayed in the screen by a simple and quick operation.
In a fourth aspect based on the first aspect, the motion execution step causes the instruction target object to perform a predetermined motion on an object located at a position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position.
According to the fourth aspect, even when, for example, the instruction target object is not displayed in the screen, the player can cause the instruction target object to perform a predetermined motion (attack motion, etc.) on a predetermined object displayed on the screen, by a simple and quick operation.
In a fifth aspect based on the first aspect, the substitute icon display step displays the substitute icon at a position in the screen closest to the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon.
According to the fifth aspect, the player is allowed to intuitively perceive the position of the instruction target object in the virtual space.
In a sixth aspect based on the fifth aspect, the substitute icon display step displays a plurality of the substitute icons while adjusting display positions thereof so that the substitute icons do not cross each other.
According to the sixth aspect, even when a plurality of substitute icons are displayed in the screen, each substitute icon can be easily pointed to and thus the operability can be improved.
In a seventh aspect based on the first aspect, the information processing program further causes the computer to execute a line display step (S67) of generating a line connecting the instruction target object associated with the substituted icon processed by the first operation and a position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position and displays the line on the screen, after the first operation is detected before the second operation is detected.
According to the seventh aspect, when there are a plurality of instruction target objects, the player is allowed to intuitively perceive to which instruction target object he/she is about to issue an instruction.
In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the line display step displays information regarding a distance between the substituted icon or the instruction target object associated with the substituted icon and the position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position.
According to the eighth aspect, the player is allowed to intuitively perceive a distance, for example, how far the instruction target object is in the virtual space.
In a ninth aspect based on the first aspect, the operation device includes at least one key; the first operation detection step detects that a predetermined key among the at least one key has been pressed in the state where the substitute icon and the pointed position overlap each other, as the first operation based on the operation data; and the second operation detection step detects that the pressed state of the key predetermined detected as the first operation has been cancelled, as the second operation based on the operation data.
According to the ninth aspect, an operation method which can be performed simply and intuitively can be provided to the player.
In a tenth aspect based on the first aspect, the operation device includes imaging means for imaging an imaging target; the operation data includes at least any of data on a taken image imaged by the imaging means, data representing two predetermined positions of the imaging target in the taken image, and data representing a position of the imaging target in the taken image; and the pointed position calculation step calculates the pointed position from any of the data on the taken image imaged by the imaging means, the data representing two predetermined positions of the imaging target in the taken image, and the data representing the position of the imaging target in the taken image, which are obtained from the operation device.
According to the tenth aspect, an operation method which can be performed intuitively can be provided to the player for pointing to a position on the screen.
In an eleventh aspect based on the first aspect, the operation device includes an analog stick, which is an analog system direction pointing device; and the information processing program further causes the computer to execute a stick scroll step of scrolling the screen in accordance with a direction pointed by the analog stick.
In a twelfth aspect based on the first aspect, the information processing program further causes the computer to execute a screen end scroll step of determining whether or not the pointed position overlaps a predetermined area including any of top, bottom, right and left ends of the screen, and when the pointed position overlaps, scrolling the screen in accordance with the direction represented by the end included in the overlapping predetermined area.
According to the eleventh and twelfth aspects, the operability of scrolling the screen can be improved.
In a thirteenth aspect based on the first aspect, the substitute icon display step displays, as attached to the substitute icon, information based on a parameter representing a state of the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon.
According to the thirteenth aspect, the state of, for example, an instruction target object which is not displayed in the screen can be quickly grasped.
In a fourteenth aspect based on the first aspect, the virtual space contains at least one related object associated with the instruction target object; and the motion execution step causes the instruction target object and also the related object to execute the predetermined motion.
According to the fourteenth aspect, an instruction can be issued to a group of a plurality of objects at the same time.
In a fifteenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, the substitute icon display step displays, as attached to the substitute icon, information on the number of the related objects associated with the instruction target object.
According to the fifteenth aspect, increase or decrease of the number of objects related to an instruction target object which is not displayed in the screen can be intuitively grasped.
In a sixteenth aspect based on the first aspect, the information processing program further causes the computer to execute an action information display step (S65) of, when the first operation is detected, providing an action information display representing an action which can be taken by the instruction target object, associated with the substitute icon processed by the first operation, on an object displayed in the screen other than the instruction target object, the an action information display being provided as overlapping the object other than the instruction operation object.
According to the sixteenth aspect, the player is allowed to intuitively perceive what type of action can be taken on which object by the instruction target object when the player performs the first operation.
A seventeenth aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to an information processing apparatus for displaying, in a screen (2) at an interval of a unit time, a virtual space containing at least one instruction target object which performs a predetermined motion based on an operation of a player. The information processing program comprises outside-the-area object detection means (10), substitute icon display means (10), pointed position calculation means (10), first operation detection means (10), second operation detection means (10), and motion execution means (10). The outside-the-area object detection means detects, at an interval of the unit time, the instruction target object which is located outside a predetermined area of the virtual space. The substitute icon display means, when the instruction target object which is located outside the predetermined area is detected by the outside-the-area object detection means, displays a substitute icon associated with the instruction target object in the screen. The pointed position calculation means obtains operation data from an operation device (7) at an interval of the unit time and calculating a pointed position on the screen pointed to by the operation device based on the operation data. The first operation detection means detects that a first operation has been performed on the substitute icon. The second operation detection means detects that a second operation different from the first operation has been performed after the first operation was detected by the first operation detection means. The motion execution means causes the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon processed by the first operation to perform a predetermined motion based on the pointed position when the second operation was detected by the second operation detection means.
In an eighteenth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the outside-the-area object detection means performs the detection where an area displayed on the screen is set as the predetermined area.
In a nineteenth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the motion execution means moves the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon processed by the first operation to a position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position.
In a twentieth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the motion execution means causes the instruction target object to perform a predetermined motion on an object located at a position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position.
In a twenty-first aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the substitute icon display means displays the substitute icon at a position in the screen closest to the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon.
In a twenty-second aspect based on the twenty-first aspect, the substitute icon display means displays a plurality of the substitute icons while adjusting display positions thereof so that the substitute icons do not cross each other.
In a twenty-third aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the information processing apparatus further comprises line display means for generating a line connecting the instruction target object associated with the substituted icon processed by the first operation and a position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position and displays the line on the screen, after the first operation is detected before the second operation is detected.
In a twenty-fourth aspect based on the twenty-third aspect, the line display means displays information regarding a distance between the substituted icon or the instruction target object associated with the substituted icon and the position in the virtual space corresponding to the pointed position.
In a twenty-fifth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the operation device includes at least one key; the first operation detection means detects that a predetermined key among the at least one key has been pressed in the state where the substitute icon and the pointed position overlap each other, as the first operation based on the operation data; and the second operation detection means detects that the pressed state of the predetermined key detected as the first operation has been cancelled, as the second operation based on the operation data.
In a twenty-sixth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the operation device includes imaging means for imaging an imaging target; the operation data includes at least any of data on a taken image imaged by the imaging means, data representing two predetermined positions of the imaging target in the taken image, and data representing a position of the imaging target in the taken image; and the pointed position calculation means calculates the pointed position from any of the data on the taken image imaged by the imaging means, the data representing two predetermined positions of the imaging target in the taken image, and the data representing the position of the imaging target in the taken image, which are obtained from the operation device.
In a twenty-seventh aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the operation device includes an analog stick, which is an analog system direction pointing device; and the information processing apparatus further comprises stick scroll means for scrolling the screen in accordance with a direction pointed by the analog stick.
In a twenty-eighth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the information processing apparatus further comprises screen end scroll means for determining whether or not the pointed position overlaps a predetermined area including any of top, bottom, right and left ends of the screen, and when the pointed position overlaps, scrolling the screen in accordance with the direction represented by the end included in the overlapping predetermined area.
In a twenty-ninth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the substitute icon display means displays, as attached to the substitute icon, information based on a parameter representing a state of the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon.
In a thirtieth aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the virtual space contains at least one related object associated with the instruction target object; and the motion execution means causes the instruction target object and also the related object to execute the predetermined motion.
In a thirty-first aspect based on the thirtieth aspect, the substitute icon display means displays, as attached to the substitute icon, information on the number of the related objects associated with the instruction target object.
In a thirty-second aspect based on the seventeenth aspect, the information processing apparatus further comprises action information display means for, when the first operation is detected, providing an action information display representing an action which can be taken by the instruction target object, associated with the substitute icon processed by the first operation, on an object displayed in the screen other than the instruction target object, the an action information display being provided as overlapping the object other than the instruction operation object.
According to the seventeenth through thirty-second aspects, substantially the same effects as those of the computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an information processing program according to the above-described aspects can be provided.
A thirty-third aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus for displaying, in a screen at an interval of a unit time, a virtual space containing at least one instruction target object which performs a predetermined motion based on an operation of a player. The information processing program causes the computer to perform an outside-the-area object detection step (S11), a substitute icon display step (S12), and a motion execution step (S74, S76). The outside-the-area object detection step detects, at an interval of the unit time, the instruction target object which is located outside a predetermined area of the virtual space. The substitute icon display step, when the instruction target object which is located outside the predetermined area is detected in the outside-the-area object detection step, displays a substitute icon associated with the instruction target object in the screen, and when there are a plurality of the substitute icons, displays the substitute icons while adjusting display positions thereof so that the substitute icons do not cross each other. The motion execution step of causes the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon to perform a predetermined motion based on a predetermined operation.
A thirty-fourth aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to an information processing apparatus for displaying, in a screen at an interval of a unit time, a virtual space containing at least one instruction target object which performs a predetermined motion based on an operation of a player. The information processing apparatus comprises outside-the-area object detection means (10), substitute icon display means (10), and motion execution means (10). The outside-the-area object detection means detects, at an interval of the unit time, the instruction target object which is located outside a predetermined area of the virtual space. The substitute icon display means, when the instruction target object which is located outside the predetermined area is detected by the outside-the-area object detection means, displays a substitute icon associated with the instruction target object in the screen, and when there are a plurality of the substitute icons, displaying the substitute icons while adjusting display positions thereof so that the substitute icons do not cross each other. The motion execution means causes the instruction target object associated with the substitute icon to perform a predetermined motion based on a predetermined operation.
According to the thirty-third and thirty-fourth aspects, even when a plurality of substitute icons are displayed in the screen, each substitute icon can be easily pointed to and thus the operability can be improved.
According to certain example embodiments, an instruction operation by the player to the instruction target object can be made more simply and more quickly, and thus the operability can be improved.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.